Awfully Chocolate Banana Cake

Youngest son's birthday was last Saturday. He had requested for a chocolate cake a week before and I promised him will bake him one. I recalled my baking friend, Vanessa, who had baked for his Fil's birthday using Yochana's recipe. I decided to go for it and challenge myself for the task.

I knew it this cake is going to be a BIG HIT in my family as I was preparing it. Secretly, I licked some choc mousse...that's how I knew it. LOL..

The cake is so rich! Yummy!

Still need to improve on my coating and decoration 

There are 3 parts to prepare before assembling them altogether. So here it goes... I have adjusted some parts for my easy reference in future. Original recipe can be found at HERE

Awfully Chocolate Banana Cake

Part 1 - Chocolate Sponge cake:

• 4              Eggs Yolk (about 60 gm. each)
• 100 gm  Castor Sugar
• 120 gm  Self Raising flour
• 1/2 tsp   Baking powder
• 1/2 tsp   Bicarbonate of Soda
• 50 gm     Corn oil
• 1 tsp        Vanilla Essence

• 4 1/2       Egg White (medium - 60gm egg)
• 1/4 tsp    Cream of Tartar
• 60gm       Castor Sugar

• 30 gm. cocoa powder + 120 gm. of hot water - stir till smooth

Method:

1. Mix egg yolks, sugar, oil, flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and vanilla essence into a mixing bowl and stir with a wooden spoon.
2. Add in cocoa mixture and stir together till smooth.
3. Beat egg white with cream of tartar for 2 mins, then pour in sugar gradually till egg white becomes fluffy but not too stiff.
4. Fold the egg yolk mixture into the egg white mixture. Do not overmix otherwise the egg white will be deflated and the cake will sink. If you feel that you are mixing too long and can still see traces of egg white it means that you have overbeat your egg white. Stop mixing anymore, don't worry about the egg white traces, just pour into a 9" round cake tin and bake.
5. Bake at 175C for about 50 mins. or till cooked.
6. Cool the cake on wire rack and then slice into 3 layers.

Part 2 : Chocolate mousse

• 250 gm        Non-Dairy Whip Cream
• 150 gm        Dairy whip cream
• 1 tsp              Vanilla essence
• 1 level Tbsp Gelatine powder - mix together with- 4 Tbsp. water and microwave for 20 secs
• 50 gm           Cocoa Powder } mix together
• 80 gm           Icing Sugar      }
• 1 1/2 Tbsp    Nescafe     )
• 1 1/2 Tbsp    Hot water ) mix together

• 1 Tbsp "Kahlua" or "Tia Maria" coffee liquer ( I omitted)

• 2 large ripe Del Monte Bananas - slice thickly

Method :

1. Beat the two whip cream separately.
2. Mix all the ingredients together.
3. Spread 1/3 of the mousse on the first layer of sponge cake, lay the slice bananas on top and then top up with another layer or sponge, continue till the last layer of sponge is used up. 
4. Cover the whole cake with the balance mousse and keep in the refrigerator till the mousse sets.

Part 3 : Coating for the cake

• 35 gm. cocoa powder
• 50 gm. sugar
• 150 gm. Dairy whipping cream
• 80 gm. chocolate - chopped
• 30 gm. Butter

Method 

1. Put all ingredients into a mixing bowl and double boil till mixture thickens.
2. Cool before pouring onto cake.
3. Pour the coating onto the cake and let the chocolate mixture flows down the side smoothly.
4. Decorate the cake and put into the frige till coating sets.
5. Slice with a warm knife and serve.

Mother-In-Law's Birthday

Supposedly we had planned to celebrate my mother-in-law's birthday on her actual day (2nd week in September) but hubby was called up last minute on the day before for midnight work. We had to cancel our plan (to bring her out for dinner) and brought forward the celebration at home instead. We also decided to bake a strawberry cake for her ...hubby went around to get the strawberries while I bake the cake.

I used a basic sponge cake recipe, bake them in 3 pieces of 5.5" aluminum foil so that I don't have to do the level cutting for the layering. I was hesitating if a 6" cake is enough for our BIG family...

My first attempt on such frosting, trying my best to get the even frosting layers but definitely need more improvements. The frosting looks thick right but not really after all. After singing and cutting the birthday cake, the creaming was just nice for us. This is the first time ever that my hubby gave me a BIG THUMPS UP and he had two slices of it instead...which is rare. LOL... It is also the first time that we finished the whole cake with no leftovers...usually there would be some leftover in our previous birthday cakes whether store bought or home baked.

Happy Day!

Lemon Honey Chiffon Cake

Recently has a craving for chiffons but I don't have coconut milk in my pantry to bake pandan chiffon. So I went through my baking book and found this recipe using olive oil, honey and lemon which I think is healthy and soothing to the throat too.

The recipe calls for 8" chiffon tin but I decided to bake in my mini chiffon tins which I love most. First, it's baked in a shorter time, then because it's mini, the recipe can yield about 5-6 tins and it's presentable and cuter to share with friends/neighbours as a whole chiffon.

I have also learnt to unmould by hand instead of using knife to scrape through the tins. It is so so easy to do it. Try it and you will love it.

I love this recipe! With the refreshing lemon and honey aroma, this chiffon is moist & light too. Using less sugar and olive oil, this is definitely a healthy choice for the family. It gives out a lemon aroma during baking, once cooled, I keep in my tupperware. When I open the cover, I can smell the lemony aroma.

Adapted from Carol's The First Book of Baking for Beginners

Original recipe uses 8" Chiffon Tin (I use 6 mini chiffon tins instead, but can make do with 5 though)

Lemon Honey Chiffon Cake

Ingredient A:

5 Egg Yolk 

30 gm Honey

50 gm Olive Oil 

120gm Cake Flour

Lemon Zest (from 1 whole lemon) 

50ml Lemon Juice (extract from lemon)

2 tsp Cold Water

Ingredient B:

6 Egg White

1 tsp Lemon Juice

60gm Castor Sugar

Method:

1.  Preheat oven at 160degree celcius.
2. Sift the flour and set aside.
3. Beat the egg yolk with honey in a mixer until light and fluffy.
4. Add in the olive oil to incorporate well and add in the lemon zest. Mix well.
5. Transfer to a mixing bowl if you only has one mixer. For the above steps, I use hand whisk.
6. Add in half the sifted flour, mix, then half lemon juice, mix again and add in 1 tsp of the cold water and mix well. Repeat again with the other half  and mix into a smooth batter. 
7. Whisk the egg white until bubbly, add in the lemon juice and sugar slowly in 2-3 portions. Whisk until stiff peak.
8. Scoop up 1/3 of the egg white and mix into the batter until incorporated.
9. Add in the rest of the egg white and mix well. 
10. Pour into the chiffon tin and smoothen the top. Give the tin a few light knock to release the air bubbles trap inside.   
11. Bake in oven for 50min. (I bake abt 30-35 min using the mini chiffon tins). Again, different oven works differently. 
12. Once baked, immediately turn over to cool over the bottles. I don't have one so lifted up my cooling rack and use my chiffon tin to cool. 
13. Unmould the cake only after it is completely cooled.

Happy Baking!

Do comment or share if you use this recipe. Thank you!

Steamed Moist Chocolate Cake

My first attempt on this cake. Didn't know that cakes can also be steamed other than baked. In fact, this is healthy cos not as heaty as the baked ones. My comment: I LOVE IT!!! Really, cos it is really heavenly delicious. Rating: 10/10. Even my husband who is not a "cake lover" also fell in love with it. Yummilicous!!!!

Thank you very much to Aunt Yochana for allowing me to post her recipe in my blog.

Steamed Moist Chocolate Cake
(from the courtesy of Aunt Yochana)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 bar of butter (250 gm + 125 gm) OR Corn Oil **
2 cups of castor sugar
1 can of Evaporated Milk
4 Eggs, lightly beaten with a folk
2 cups of Plain flour ***
1 cup of Cocoa powder
1 tsp Baking powder
1 tsp Baking soda
1 tsp Vanilla Extract or 1 1/2 tsp Vanilla essence

*** this recipe can be halve easily

Methods:
1) Combine castor sugar, Evaporated milk, vanilla extract or essence and butter in a saucepan. Stir over low heat until sugar is dissolved and butter is melted, off fire and keep warm.

2) Add the beaten eggs into the slightly cold Evaporated milk mixture and stir till well mix.

3) Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda into a large mixing bowl then pour the eggs mixture over the flour and stir till well mix (cake batter should be runny).

4) Heat up the steamer. Lined and greased a 9 inch baking pan or 2 9'inch sandwich pan.

5) Pour the batter into prepared pan and place the pans into the steamer and cover the top of the pan losely with a piece of aluminuim foil. Steam over medium heat for 1 1/2 hour (45 mins for 1/2 recipe/ingredients).

6) Cold the cake in pan before turning out for further decoration.

Chocolate topping:-

Ingredients
1 can of Condence milk
1 tsp of Vanilla extract or 1 1/2 tsp Vanilla essence
1/2 cup Corn oil
1/3 cup Cocoa powder,sifted
1/8 tsp Salt

Method:
1. Combine the sifted cocoa powder,condence milk and oil.
2. Stir over low heat till thicken (stirring all the time).
3. Add in salt and vanilla extract or essence.
4. Cold the chocolate topping a little before spreading on the cold cake.Enjoy... Razz

NOTES :
** If using corn oil simply mix all ingredients up and stir till well blended.
*** With a metal spoon fluff up the flour in the bag,and lightly spoon it into the measuring cup while held over a sheet of waxed paper or the flour canister. Let the flour heap up and overflow. Do not TAP or SHAKE the cup to level it. When the flour is over the top,use the flat side of a knife or spatula to sweep off the excess flour so it is level with the top of the cup.

Orange Chiffon Cake

Baked this orange chiffon cake y'day using AY's recipe...I love the texture...soft and fluffy.

Gula Melaka Mini Chiffon Cake

First time using gula melaka to make chiffon cake and it really smells nice. Got this recipe from a friend but I changed abit on her recipe. Texture is much softer and taste with an added pandan fragnant. I am not good at photo taking...guess got to really work hard on this area too.

Hubby's 1st B'day Cake

My very first cake baked with Love for my husband though wordings are not nicely written, it's the thought that counts.

Japanese Light Cheesecake